Gaming is an industry which has grown immensely in the last few decades. This growth has seen gaming spread from just a few locations to many throughout the world, and has resulted in greater numbers of people than ever participating in gaming. Gaming originally comprised just a few “table” games, such as poker, craps and blackjack. Later, machine based games were offered, such as the now common mechanical reel-type slot machine and the video style slot and poker machine.
One problem facing game manufacturers is the need to continually create new and exciting games to maintain the interest of the public. This is more difficult than it appears at first glance. Of course, to be successful, the new game must appeal to the player to generate a profitable revenue. The gross revenue generated by a game is based on a variety of factors, such the length of time each player plays, the amount wagered, and the average percentage “take” of the game. If the “take” is too high, a player is generally unwilling to play. If the “take” is very low, then it is necessary to ensure that the game is played nearly continuously so that revenue is constantly being derived. When players play a game for only short periods of time, the revenue of the game is generally reduced because of “idle” time between players. The amount wagered also contributes to the revenue. In general, if the amount that a player is willing to bet, either on each game or over time can be increased, then the revenue of the game will generally increase. These and a variety of other factors all contribute to the total revenue produced by a game.
The ability of a game to generate a profit is dependent not only upon the gross revenue produced by the game, but the cost of producing and operating the game device. A game may be very appealing, but if extremely expensive to produce, its revenue may not exceed its costs. Profitability is thus tied to both the cost of the game and the ability of the game to generate revenue.
The appeal of a game and the length of time a player will play a game are dependent upon a number of factors. These factors include some of those described above, such as the odds or take, and on a variety of other factors. For example, a game which is very difficult to understand and play will not tend to draw many long-term players. A few players may take to the game, while most will be alienated and play once or twice. A game which involves little skill may appeal to a wide cross-section of the public because of its ease of play. On the other hand, the length of time a player may play such a game may be fairly short, with the player losing interest unless “luck” is on their side and they see consistent winnings during a session of play.
Thus, it is desirable to produce a game which attracts a wide audience, which keeps the attention of a player for long periods of time, and which causes the player to want to place large wagers.